questions about Raisins

[graveyardbrew]

Has anyone used Raisins in there mash? If so what kind of sugar extraction did you get and were there any ill affects?

[MaltLicker]

Not in the mash, but I've taken hot wort from the boil and added to raisins I had chopped up.  Let them soak a while and added back to boil.  More for the dark fruit flavor profile than any extra sugars.  Probably be similar to the mash but you may lose a bit in the grain filter. 

[graveyardbrew]

excellent thanks I am working on an homage to Raisin de Extra, not a clone but a Golden Version of my own. Trying to work out usable sugars for estimations.

[UselessBrewing]

I have also put them in the Kettle, in the last 20 min of the boil. I have heard of people adding them to the secondary also. Be warned tho, Raisins can have wild yeasts that could make your beer have off flavors.

I participated in a beerswap with a group of other guys on the Aleuminati. The beer was a Belgian Double, We all had the same recipe with our own variations of the recipe. One of the guys added raisins to the secondary, and it mellowed out the flavors and made it taste entirely different than everyone else's.

Cheers
Preston

[Maine Homebrewer]

Last time I used raisins I was attempting a batch of dandilion wine for no reason other than driving past a huge field of yellow on the way home and thinking "what if..".  It didn't work out, but not because of the raisins.  Though I'd suggest cutting them in half so they don't turn into plump balloons floating in the brew.
For sanitation purposes I'd either add them either at the end of the boil, or into a secondary once there's enough alcohol to inhibit any wild yeasty hitchhikers.
As far as figuring what effect they'll have on the gravity, your guess is as good as mine.

[MaltLicker]

batch of dandilion wine for no reason other than driving past a huge field of yellow on the way home and thinking "what if..". 

98% un-related, but a friend consistently makes a great dandelion IPA/APA using dandelion leaves for the bittering and some Amarillo for flavor/aroma.  Another unconventional ingredient to try.............